Taste of Love
by Miko Akako
Summary: 100 Theme Challenge; Updated Daily; Pairing reflects most recent chapter; xl. 4:29 PM. His favorite time.
1. Here we go

Since I'm doing this for Star Trek, I've decided to attempt it for Death Note as well. The themes are different for each, so hopefully I won't be tempted to do similar ideas for similar words.

I've decided to make them between 100-500 words for each chapter. Some I'll continue, some will remain as a short drabble. If there's any that you'd like to see expanded, let me know in a review or a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Any and all pairings/characters are fair game, though I'm partial to Mello/Matt and L/Light. I'll let you know at the start of each chapter what the pairing will be.

I'll be updating this once a day, and I will be following the order in the list below.

Just in case I forget to put it at the start of each chapter, **I own nothing (Disclaimer)**.

* * *

><p><strong>List of Themes<strong>

1. Introduction  
>2. Love<br>3. Light  
>4. Dark<br>5. Rot  
>6. Break<br>7. Heaven  
>8. Away<br>9. Cut  
>10. Breathe<br>11. Memory  
>12. Insanity<br>13. Misfortune  
>14. Smile<br>15. Silence  
>16. Spit<br>17. Blood  
>18. Under<br>19. Gray  
>20. Fortitude<br>21. War  
>22. Mother<br>23. Distastefull  
>24. Want<br>25. Lurking  
>26. Europe<br>27. Foreign  
>28. Sorrow<br>29. Urban  
>30. Rain<br>31. Flower  
>32. Night<br>33. Wrath  
>34. Moon<br>35. Walk  
>36. Precious<br>37. See  
>38. Abandoned<br>39. Dream  
>40. 4:29 PM<br>41. Citric Acid  
>42. Still<br>43. Die  
>44. Two Roads<br>45. Two Guns  
>46. Drop<br>47. Dirt  
>48. Young<br>49. Preservatives  
>50. Breaking the Rules<br>51. Sport  
>52. Old<br>53. Desecrate  
>54. Tower<br>55. Need  
>56. Biohazard<br>57. Sacrificial  
>58. Kick in the Head<br>59. No Way Out  
>60. Desert<br>61. Fairy Tale  
>62. Voodoo<br>63. Do Not Disturb  
>64. City<br>65. Horrorific  
>66. Snow<br>67. Drum  
>68. Hero<br>69. Annoyance  
>70. 67%<br>71. Obsession  
>72. Mislead<br>73. I. Can't.  
>74. Confrontation<br>75. Mirror  
>76. Broken<br>77. Testament  
>78. Drink<br>79. FUCK  
>80. Words<br>81. Pen and Paper  
>82. +<br>83. Heal  
>84. Cold <p>


	2. Introduction

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Brief mention of suicide.  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Matt, Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _i. Introduction_

* * *

><p><strong>Introduction<strong>

Nothing fazed Matt anymore. He'd seen blood, and pain and torture first hand. He'd watched his mother drink herself into a coma and his father shoot his brains out a few feet away. He figured he was pretty much immune to anything life had to throw at him. But nothing could prepare him for the sight of the blonde boy waltzing in to the House with an air of who-the-fuck-do-you-think-you-are-to-look-at-me. After the boy had been introduced (his name was Mello, which he so definitely was _not_), Matt felt a flutter in his gut that his eight year-old brain didn't recognize.


	3. Love

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter(s):** Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _ii. Love_

* * *

><p><strong> Love<strong>

Light swore to himself that he would never fall in love. Love was for the weak, and Light Yagami would not be weak. So as he got older and noticed the types of people he was attracted to, he made a point never to date them. He wouldn't even be friends with them, for fear of falling prey to that fickle human emotion. No one noticed, of course. His parents, particularly his mother, fawned over each of his girlfriends. Light just laughed and let her. As long as he dated girls, he didn't have to worry about falling in love.


	4. Light

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter(s):** L, Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _iii. Light_

* * *

><p><strong>Light<strong>

When L lay on the floor, pain echoing in the place of his no longer beating heart, he didn't have any regrets. He had sequestered himself away from the light of the world, keeping himself safe in his hotel rooms. He pushed away anyone who tried to be his friend, even keeping the one man who was like a father to him at arm's length. When he was gone, there would be no one there to mourn him except the man who killed him. As he lay there dying and in pain, there was only one Light he could see.


	5. Dark

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Brief mention of suicide.  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Matt, Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 176  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _iv. Dark. Matt observes his roommate.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Dark<strong>

Matt's favorite time was at night, after everyone else was asleep and the House was quiet. It was the only time he could look at his roommate without fear of being judged. He didn't care what other people thought, but to see Mello's face contort in disgust was more than Matt could handle. Not that it ever had – Matt didn't dare look at Mello that long in the light of day.

"So much I wish I could tell you," Matt whispered into the darkness, pulling his legs under him and sitting Indian style on the bed. From that vantage point he could see Mello's face, turned toward him and illuminated by the moonlight that broke the darkness like a river running through the air. The blonde's features were relaxed, almost innocent. No one who knew the fifteen-year-old orphan would call him childish, but most didn't see him the way Matt did. In the dark of night, Matt sat awake and marveled that _he_ was the one who got to see Mello that way. "I love you."


	6. Rot

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter(s):** Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 330  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _v. Rot. Light's reflection.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Rot<strong>

The next morning, Light stood and looked at himself in front of the mirror. He was beautiful; he didn't need people to tell him that. He had ironed his white button-down school shirt and khaki pants that morning, as he had every morning since he'd started school. His hair was flawless, falling in soft wisps in his eyes in a way that looked effortless but had actually taken an hour of drying and styling to accomplish. His eyes themselves were almond shaped, and he experimented with widening them and narrowing them, going from innocent school boy to calculating detective in an instant. His lips weren't chapped, but he applied chaptstick anyway in an almost compulsive gesture before flicking his pink tongue out and wiping off most of it anyway, the cherry-plastic flavor bitter in his mouth.

But the longer he looked in the mirror, the more convinced he was that something was wrong. His clothes were a little looser, maybe? Had he lost weight? He turned sideways, examining himself in profile. He didn't look any thinner. Was it his hair? Maybe it was time for a haircut? But no…he'd just gone a few days before and it had been his regular stylist. He couldn't meet his own eyes long enough to really evaluate those, but they were still perfect 20-20.

There was nothing changed in his physical appearance. He was still the boy who had the attention of every girl and boy in the school. He could walk in a room and cause every head to turn in envy. But there was something wrong, and even as he tried to figure it out, he knew exactly what it was. He was still flawless, would remain flawless on the outside. It was the inside that had changed. Since he had first taken a pen and put it to that cursed paper, it was his soul that had changed. Like Dorian Grey his outside would remain untarnished while his soul slowly rotted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **This is the longest one so far. I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed, I try to respond to everyone as long as you have private messages available (and are signed in when you review). I also want to thank everyone who has favorited/alerted this_. _I've been having a lot of fun writing these, and I hope you're enjoying reading them._  
><em>


	7. Break

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Mentions of dead animal and broken bones.  
><strong>PairingCharacter(s):** Matt/Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 265  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _vi. Break. Broken bones were nothing new to Matt._

* * *

><p><strong>Break<strong>

Broken bones were nothing new to Matt. When he was five, his mother had dragged him, screaming and crying, from the body of the puppy he had adopted who had been hit by a car. Her grip had been so tight that his radius and ulna had fractured. He didn't complain and his mother was too busy to notice, but it was minor and it healed after a few weeks. When he was seven he went through a windshield in the accident that killed his parents. His skull had been fractured, three of his ribs were cracked and another four were bruised, his left leg was held together by a combination of screws and plates, as was his right ankle and wrist. Even at Wammy's he hadn't been completely safe. He'd broken his good leg when he fell out of the tree after he beat the game Mello had bought him for his birthday. The pain of a broken bone was sharp, and throbbed even after the wounds healed. But the point was; they healed.

When he woke up that morning to find nothing but an empty bed and a scribbled note, it was an entirely different pain that consumed him. It wasn't sharp or throbbing, but a dull echo that made his teeth ache and his breath catch. There would be no pain medicine to take the edge off, or surgery that could put the pieces back together. Even when Mello came back one morning, face burned almost beyond recognition, the break in his heart didn't heal.


	8. Heaven

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Teenage!Wammy and Teenage!Roger  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Quillish/Roger  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 210  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _vii. Heaven. "Do you believe in Heaven?"_

* * *

><p><strong>Heaven<strong>

"Do you believe in heaven, Quillish?" The boy who was addressed glanced up from the pile of materials he was cataloging. He had the lanky build of someone on the verge of manhood, but still firmly rooted in adolescence. His hair was light brown, almost blonde, and fell into his hazel eyes until he brushed them away. The one who spoke was shorter, obvious even though he was sitting on a table, legs dangling blow like a marionette. He had dark hair, curly, that was cut short. His olive eyes followed Quillish behind glasses.

"I know that you do," He answered. "Why do you ask, Roger?" Roger frowned, swinging his legs from his table top perch.

"Curious," He shrugged. His forced nonchalance let Quillish know there was a deeper meaning for the question. "Do you?"

"I don't know." Quillish wouldn't lie, but he was good at avoiding questions. "I've read arguments that make both cases. Some even argue that this is Heaven."

"But what do _you_ think?" Roger knew his friend's tricks.

"I'm…not sure," Quillish stood, wiping his hands on the towel sitting on the table. He leaned over to Roger, catching him by surprise with a chaste kiss, leaving a smile lingering on both faces. "I'll let you know?"


	9. Away

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Implied suicide  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Misa  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _viii. Away. Everyone leaves.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Away<strong>

Everyone she cared about left. First her brother, who ran to America, met some girl and got himself killed in a car accident. Then her parents. One moment they were there, and the next they were bleeding on the street in front of her. That was why she held on so tightly to Light. She thought that maybe, if she clung hard enough, he wouldn't leave like everyone else. But then she got the call that he, too, was gone. So she stood out on the ledge, looking down at all the happy people below, and let herself drift away.


	10. Cut

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Death  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Mello(/Matt)  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 127  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _ix. Cut. Living his life in a movie._

* * *

><p><strong>Cut<strong>

He felt like he was living his life in a move. First he was four years old, walking back from the bathroom to find his parents slumped unnaturally in their seats in the car, blood drying on their church clothes. Cut to age twelve. He looked up from his books to see a new boy walking through the door, all red hair and goggles and stripes. Cut to age sixteen. He was slamming doors and throwing things in a suitcase while the new boy turned best friend packed in a much more subdued manner. Cut to eighteen. Leaning against a steering wheel of a truck in a burning church after watching his best friend turned lover die with three dozen bullets through his body. Cut to black.


	11. Breathe

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Death  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Near/Gevanni  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 207  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_x. Breathe. You need to breathe.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Breathe<strong>

The members of the SPK milled about the room, waiting for their next assignment. Despite their seemingly random placement, the lodestone of their movements was a small boy with white hair and hands that couldn't stay still. They moved around him, never invading his space but almost oblivious to his presence. He was manipulating dolls, mumbling under his breath in a constant stream that no one could quite catch the gist of. One man stood alone, arms crossed and dark hair shielding his eyes. He alone seemed to see the white youth. The day wore on, with people coming and going but the white boy and the dark man stayed the same. As the time ticked to nightfall, everyone left except those two. The boy took no notice, still talking to his toys. When the clock shone midnight, the dark man left his perch and was kneeling beside the younger man and caught the constantly moving hands with his own. "You need to stop, Near," He whispered, shifting both the smaller hands into one of his own and using his free hand to push a lock of white hair out of his face. "You need to breathe. Forget about Kira and L for a moment. Just breathe."


	12. Memory

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Light, Mikami, Misa  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 237  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xi. Memory. It would be a day that was burned into their memories._

**A/N:** Happy Easter(for those of you who celebrate it). I'm posting this early since I'm not sure if I'll be able to get on later. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

* * *

><p><strong>Memory<strong>

The entire world tuned in for the Kira proceedings. It would be a day that was burned into their memories forever. Millions of people held their breath waiting for the criminals to make their debut. Nothing could prepare them for the three people who stepped forward.

Yagami Light, age eighteen, first year at To-Oh University and already excelling to the front of his classes. He was beautiful by any standards, and it wasn't only the girls who were drawn to the charisma he seemed to exude with every breath. When the charges were read against him, no one doubted the sincerity of his denial.

Mikami Teru, age twenty five, up and coming criminal prosecutor. He stayed close to Light, eyes following the younger man's every movement with an almost worshipful expression on his face. When addressed, his face was kept blank of any expression, echoing Light's denial of the charges in a voice that was well used to the court room.

Amane Misa, age nineteen, model turned actress who dabbled in singing. Her face was well known, but she kept it shrouded in a cloud of black. Her petite frame wasn't hidden by her traditional Lolita dress, bows and ribbons in deep red and black. She kept her hands folded in front of her and she walked apart from the others, even if only a few centimeters difference. When asked her plea, her voice was clear. Guilty.


	13. Insanity

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Mental illness  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> L/Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 328  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xii. Insanity. Light would never regret his decision to stay.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Insanity<strong>

"What are you doing here?" Light didn't have to see the blank look in the detective's eyes to know he was having another flare up. It was heartbreaking, watching the once brilliant man deteriorate. It had been slow. Cases that would have taken him minutes to solve took hours. Then hours dragged to days; days to weeks; weeks to months. By the time he realized there was a problem, the disease was too much a part of him to ever fix. Not that there was a cure. It was almost unheard of for someone in their thirties to decline so quickly. It was so bad that most days L didn't even recognize Light at all. "I thought I told the Japanese police force that I would call them if I needed help. Unless you have a new lead, Matsuda."

Light had no response. He bit back the tears that rose to his eyes and composed himself. Obviously L was working on the Kira case, though he had solved it close to twenty years ago. Almost twenty years to the day. That was how long Light had been living with him. At first it had been forced – L didn't trust Light in society and Light couldn't blame him. But then something close to trust had developed and that eventually turned to love. They'd had four good years.

"By the blank expression, I take it that you don't," L sighed, turning back to his blank computer screen. He didn't seem to notice that his typing produced no result. "Go get me coffee. And a tray of sugar." Light stood there for a moment, heart breaking as he looked at his once brilliant lover. He could have left when L was diagnosed. Wammy offered to pay his expenses with no hard feelings, but Light couldn't. Even if L only knew him one day every five years, Light wouldn't regret his decision to stay.


	14. Misfortune

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Violent/Graphic imagery. Mentions of domestic abuse.  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Wammy, Mello, Near  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 240  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xiii. Misfortune. It shouldn't be possible..._

* * *

><p><p>

**Misfortune**

It shouldn't be possible for so many bad things to happen to children who hadn't had the chance to deserve it. Not that anyone could deserve what happened some of the children who'd found their way to his House. He still couldn't look at Near without feeling the urge to lock him away from everything bad. No one should see their dad beat their mother to a pulp. Wammy had to excuse himself to be sick when he'd walked into the apartment and seen the woman – hardly discernible anymore through the broken bones and bruises, not to mention the bugs that had made a feast of her. Or Mello, who he knew still had nightmares about fire. And who could blame him, since he'd woken in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke and walked out into the kitchen to find his parents screaming, their flesh burning. The oven hadn't been turned off before they fell asleep on the couch, and as their couch was against the wall that backed up to the kitchen, by the time they woke it had eaten through the paper thin walls of the house they had saved up for years to buy. So he did the best he could for them, providing everything they wanted and asking nothing of them in return. Because no one should have to watch their own child die of a stroke at the age of three.

* * *

><strong>AN: **So it's finals week(until next Wednesday). I'm going to try my best to keep on track with this, but if I miss a day, that's why. And if that happens, I'll post two the next day. Thank you to everyone who has alerted/favorited this. I feel bad that I don't get to thank you for it like I (try to) do with the reviewers. Just want to let you all know I appreciate all the support.


	15. Smile

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **L/Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 166  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xiv. Smile. Domestic bliss.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Smile<strong>

She was a beautiful baby girl. Light looked fondly at the child resting in his arms and marveled again that she was his. After so long, after everything they'd been through, they finally had a healthy baby girl. At sixteen pounds, two ounces she was right on track for an eight week old infant. Her hair was short blonde wisps on the top of her head and her blue eyes were open wide, seeming to take in every word her father was saying.

"How is she?" Light turned to face the man who had just walked in and he wordlessly handed the child over to the detective.

"She's perfect," He said. The change in the other man was obvious. His expression, normally stoic verging on bored, softened as he looked down at his infant daughter. The baby cooed her delight, grabbing hold of L's long finger while his other arm cradled her against his body. Her lips twitched when he spoke to her, an unmistakable smile.


	16. Silence

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Light sexual references  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt/Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 364  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xv. Silence. Tell me you love me._

* * *

><p><strong>Silence<strong>

Their relationship was far from perfect, but it was working. Sure, Mello spent more and more time at work and went straight to bed when he got back in the middle of the night. But Matt knew that was only because he was so close to a promotion – he had his eyes set on area Boss. So the hacker convinced himself that if he just waited everything would go back to normal. But their relationship was working.

It was three in the morning when the door was thrown open, the scent of leather and sweat preceding the blonde into the apartment. Matt was waiting as he always did, sitting on the couch with a gameboy in one hand and a cigarette in another. He tried to stop the creeping disappointment when Mello stalked past him without so much as a glance of acknowledgement. He sat there for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the shower running. Mello's showers never took longer than five minutes. Right on cue, the water turned off and Matt knew Mello was sliding in to bed. He waited a few more minutes before following, shedding his shirt and pants before pulling the covers back and lying on his side. Mello was still awake – he snored when he slept – but he said nothing.

Matt propped himself up and just looked at his boyfriend for a few minutes, thinking. He told himself over and over that their relationship was working, but sometimes, in the darkness, he let the truth sink in. They hadn't been working for a while. Sometimes when Mello came home, the smell of chocolate would be overwhelmed by the smell of sex. They no longer spoke to each other beyond what was necessary. When they kissed – and Matt _always_ started it – it was halfhearted and never led to anything more. But Matt clung on, because he loved Mello desperately. He didn't think he would survive if he lost the one thing he could count on.

"Tell me you love me, Mello," He whispered into the darkness. Mello's silence said more than any words could have.


	17. Spit

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt/Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 210  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xvi. Spit. A week without electronics._

* * *

><p><strong>Spit<strong>

"What did you just say?" Matt glanced up at his friend who was shuffling a deck of cards on the table. All electronic devices had been banned, and Matt was going crazy. His fingers twitched and he kept reaching toward the pocket where he kept his game boy only to remember it was locked in Roger's office and wouldn't be released for another week.

"Spit," Mello said, patient. He focused on the cards, determined not to yell at Matt, even though he desperately wanted to super glue the addicts hands together to stop the annoying tapping sound. "It's a card game." He explained the rules quickly, dividing the deck and pushing half towards the redhead.

"I don't see how this is supposed to help," Matt mumbled, mirroring Mello's movements to set up the game. Mello said nothing, clenching his jaw as Matt's nervous twitching resumed.

"Let's just play the game," Mello said. It took a few rounds before Matt had a full grasp of the rules. An hour later they were still there. People were starting to leave the library, and Mello stifled a yawn. He wanted to go to their room and just sleep, but the thought of the twitching…he would rather play the damn card game all week.


	18. Blood

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xvii. Blood. As far as Mello was concerned..._

* * *

><p><strong>Blood<strong>

Blood relation meant nothing to Mello. His father was a Mafia lackey and his mother was a whore who made a mistake and ended up with a child she neither wanted nor intended to keep. It was only her strict religious belief that stopped her from terminating the pregnancy. That belief didn't keep her from dumping the child at a hospital as soon as he was born. Mello never understood why the other children were so sad about losing their parents. As far as he was concerned, parents were nothing but dead weights that would only end up causing pain.


	19. Under

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **-fillintheblank-  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xviii. Under. He was crashing under the weight of expectations ._

* * *

><p><strong>Under<strong>

He was crashing under the weight of expectations. He was only seventeen. He was smart; his IQ had him labeled as a genius at the tender age of five. But he was only seventeen. Until now all the cases they presented him with were theoretical or already solved. Now he was expected to analyze real time data and interact with people who were counting on him to solve their problems. This was something he had worked his entire life for, but until the reality set in, he had no idea what he was getting in to. He was being crushed.


	20. Gray

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light, L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xix. Gray. What is Light-kun doing?_

* * *

><p><strong>Gray<strong>

"What is Light-kun doing?" L peered over the teen's shoulder, attempting to see what he was watching. Light quickly minimized the tab and glanced up, trying to look innocent.

"Nothing," He said. "Research for the Kira case."

"Light-kun is lying to me," L said, taking control of the mouse and switching back to the browser Light had just minimized. Light looked away, wishing he could sink into his seat. "Why is Light-kun watching an American television show about surgeons?"

"Uh…English practice?" He was too busy being embarrassed to wonder how L knew what the show was from just a picture.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **The show is "Grey's Anatomy." (hence the prompt Gray). **  
><strong>

Just made it under the wire for this one. I've been busy with finals, and I finally ran out of pre-typed stories.

Also, I rescued a horse about a week ago and made a blog for him. It's listed as my homepage if anyone is interested. Just thought I'd let you guys know about it.


	21. Fortitude

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Mello/Matt  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 172  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xx. Fortitude. He was afraid._

* * *

><p><strong>Fortitude<strong>

He was afraid. He was terrified that he would die, or worse, get his best friend killed. He looked over at the man sleeping beside him, drooling on to the pillow and snoring gently. The thought that in twenty four hours he would have breathed his last breath stirred something in Mello that he wasn't aware even existed. He slipped out of bed, sitting on the edge with his head in his hands.

"S'wrong, Mels?" Mello knew the redhead was still mostly asleep, and he looked down at him. He could confess his shortcomings in the dark to a man who wouldn't remember in the morning.

"I'm not sure I can do this," He whispered, voice sounding foreign even to him.

"You're the strongest person I know, Mel," Matt said. "'I know of no higher fortitude than stubbornness in the face of overwhelming odds.' You're stubborn. We'll get through this together. I love you. Come back to bed." Mello sighed, laying back down and looking up at the ceiling. He was afraid.


	22. War

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Roger, Quillish  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxi. War. A war of children._

* * *

><p><strong>War<strong>

It broke Roger's heart to watch the struggle between children who should have been friends. It was necessary to foster a competitive environment that could produce another mind like L's. Quillish explained that to him on days when he had to break up a fight between children over grades on the latest test. Sometimes he wondered if Quillish wasn't wrong, that fighting wasn't the way, but he would never question his friend like that. Still, it felt like he was the instigator in a war. A war between children who had done nothing except be born to parents who died.


	23. Mother

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxii. Mother. Dearest Mother..._

* * *

><p><strong>Mother<strong>

Dearest Mother,

I cannot apologize for what I have done. I'm not sorry; I only did what was necessary to make the world a better place. I will apologize for the pain that it caused you when I was convicted. I hope you do not think of me as a bad person. As my sentence draws near, I simply wish to make it known to you that I will always love you. I ask that you do not watch my execution. I am punished for my weakness, but you should not see your son die.

Your loving son,

Light


	24. Distasteful

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **BB, L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxiii. Distasteful. BB and L are too different._

* * *

><p><strong>Distasteful<strong>

The dark boy looked at his roommate, scowling. The two sides of the small room couldn't have been more different. BB's side was immaculate. His desk was perfectly organized; the books on his shelf separated by genre and arranged in alphabetic order. The bed was made; clothes folded. L's side wasn't. The books were left wherever they landed, and mixed in with the dirty clothes and trash. There wasn't an inch of free space to be found on the desk or shelves. What wasn't covered in books and paper was stacked high with dirty dishes. How was L beating him?


	25. Want

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt, Mello (implied Mello/Near)  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 317  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxiv. Want. I don't want anything from you._

* * *

><p><strong>Want<strong>

Matt ran out of the room, out of the building. He wanted to run until his legs gave out and he was gasping for breath and even then he would keep running. Maybe then he could get the image out of his head. Blonde and white. Honey gold skin twisting with skin white as a sheet. He shouldn't care – he was the one who pushed Mello away, who rebuked every offer the blonde made. But he hadn't thought Mello would go to Near. Near, who Mello was supposed to hate. Near, who was constantly degrading Mello.

Matt was out of shape from too many hours playing video games and too few spent in the gym. He was panting by the time he made it to the front doors of the House, and his side was splitting by the time he made it to the fountain in the Garden. He didn't hear anyone approaching over the sound of his pounding heart and ragged breaths.

"What the hell, Matt," The redhead spun, backing away from the voice. He knew that voice, and yet it sounded so foreign now.

"Go away," Matt said, warding his heart and ignoring the ache in his gut that came from seeing Mello, hair still messed, missing a shirt altogether. He forced his eyes to the ground and away from Mello's lean chest. Mello didn't waste his time with games.

"What do you want from me?" Mello asked, ignoring Matt's request and stepping closer. Matt backed away, shaking his head and biting his lip to keep from crying.

"I…Nothing," Matt lied. He wanted to be the one in Mello's bed. He wanted his to be the one whose name Mello moaned. He wanted to wake up every morning wrapped in Mello's embrace, knowing that someone cared for him. He wanted to find the words that could express all that. "I don't want anything from you."


	26. Lurking

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Mello, Near  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 344  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxv. Lurking. Matt knew someone was following him._

* * *

><p><strong>Lurking<strong>

Matt knew someone was following him, lurking in the shadows and disappearing whenever he turned his eyes. He shouldn't have been out so late alone – he'd heard the stories of young men and women who went missing, turning up days later dead if they were found at all – but his friends had ditched him at the club and he didn't have the money for a cab. So he took his chance, avoiding side streets and trying to stay in sight of other people. But despite his precautions, he felt as if someone was watching him.

He was only a block from his apartment and had no choice but to turn down the abandoned street. Half the lights were burnt out and hadn't been replaced, but he could see his door and when he turned, he didn't see anyone even glancing his way. He turned back around and ran full into a leather-clad blonde. The blonde caught him, powerful arms setting him up on his feet. He realized his hands were pressed to the man's chest and he stumbled back, ignoring the chuckle.

"Th…thanks," He said, blushing. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful or terrified.

"It's not safe for you to be out alone," the man said. Matt gulped, at a loss for words. He should be afraid. He knew he should. But there was something about this stranger that was familiar. It was the face he saw in his dreams that slipped away with the morning light.

"I know you," he blurted. A shadow crossed the stranger's face and Matt stepped forward, tracing his fingers down the man's face.

"You shouldn't," the words were whispered, lacking the confidence from the previous words. "Go home, Matt. And don't walk home alone again. I can't always keep you safe." Matt opened his mouth to protest, but the man was gone, vanished into the shadows. He had no choice but to continue on, turning back at his door to try to catch one last glimpse of the blonde.


	27. Europe

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light, L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 106  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxvi. Europe. This is the final countdown._

_**SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 25. **  
><em>

* * *

><p>Europe<p>

Light liked to find the theme songs of his life. As L's death was approaching, he reached for the CD that he'd been putting on hold for exactly this moment. He looked down at it and smirked. It was absolutely perfect, with the forty second countdown that would be starting any moment. He only wished he could know the exact moment so he could time the end of the song with L's death. It would be tragically poetic. He slid on his headphones, keeping the music loud enough so he could hear, but no so anyone else in the room could. "_It's the final countdown…"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So I promise I had this yesterday but ff wouldn't let me upload it. xx; Today's will be up later. _  
><em>


	28. Foreign

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 163  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxvii. Foreign. L travelled the world._

* * *

><p><strong>Foreign<br>**

L travelled the world. He'd been to every foreign country, many twice. He had met the most powerful men in the world and they deferred to him. He never stayed long in any one place, certainly not long enough to call it home. And yet there was something about England that lodged itself into his unconsciousness. Against all logic, he experienced a heavy sense of relief whenever Wammy told him they would be spending time in London.

Technically he was a foreigner in England. His mother was born in America and his father in Japan. They'd met in Tokyo when she was over for a semester of study abroad. They hadn't even been to England before their death. It was Wammy who travelled to Tokyo to look into the nine year old orphan genius and brought the boy back to London. He was thirteen when he started travelling the world. No matter how many foreign countries he went to, England was always home.


	29. Sorrow

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Near  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxviii. Sorrow. He was the only one left._

* * *

><p><strong>Sorrow<strong>

He walked through the graveyard, head bowed and looking neither left nor right until he arrived at four graves with identical headstones. He stopped, twirling a strand of hair around a finger and biting his lip gently. The stones were bright white though two showed signs of wear in the vines that were threading their way up the smooth surfaces. If he was someone prone to emotions, he may have spoken. Instead, he simply paused by each one and placed a hand to the top of the stone. They were just graves, and he was just the one who survived.


	30. Urban

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxix. Urban. That was what he loved about the city._

**A/N: **

* * *

><p><strong>Urban<strong>

The city was always dark. Even in the middle of the day there was a thick haze that obstructed the view of the sun. The night was even worse. Matt never went out alone in the dark. He would sit in his room and look out at the street, observing everyone and making up stories for them. That was what he loved about the city. He was a watcher; he had been a watcher since he was a small child. He hated the darkness and the claustrophobia of the city, but he loved the people. Until the day it changed.


	31. Rain

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light (implied Light/L)  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 295  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxx. Rain. Light used to like the rain._

_**SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 25**  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Rain<strong>

Light used to like rain. He liked the isolation of it - no one tried to talk to him or expected anything of him while he was walking in a storm. He liked the anonymity of it – he could wear a raincoat with the hood pulled tight over his head or hide his face under an umbrella and no one looked twice. Whenever it rained, he would take a walk to clear his head. That became even more necessary after he found the Death Note.

It came as a relief when Light looked at the monitors and saw it was raining that day. He knew L was living his last hours, and that thought wasn't as sweet as Light thought it would be. Instead of heading out to the front of the building to go for a walk, he decided to go up to the roof. He could see most of the city from up there. It would give him time to clear his head.

What he didn't count on was running into the person he was trying to escape. He assumed when L left the room he went to visit with Watari and get an update on several smaller cases Light knew he was working on. Obviously not. The detective was standing, face turned towards the sky. Light observed him silently for a few moments, wondering if L enjoyed the rain for the same reason Light did.

Light used to like the rain. Now the sound of rain reminded him of a man who hid behind a computer screen and ate so many sweets his teeth should have rotted out. Now the sound of rain was betrayal and pain and death. Light used to like the rain, until he killed the man he loved.


	32. Flower

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light/Misa (implied Light/L)  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 251  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxi. Flower. He never bought her flowers._

* * *

><p><strong>Flower<strong>

It was just a flower, but Misa felt her world shatter. Never once had Light given her a flower, and now he bought a bouquet of red roses just to put on the grave of someone he hadn't even liked. She knew she wasn't supposed to see them because they were hidden in Light's office that he normally kept locked. She spun around when she heard Light walk in.

"Welcome home, Light!" She said, running toward him and throwing her arms around his neck. She let him spin her and place her down without a kiss. "I love you."

"How are you?" He asked. She didn't miss that he didn't return her feelings. She hadn't seen it before, but now it was so obvious. She tried to keep the smile on her face but it felt fake.

"I missed you," She said, fishing again for him to say something, anything, to make her think she still had a place in his heart. Or ever had a place in his heart.

"I had to try to salvage L's files," He said, turning and leaving. She followed. "L's funeral is tomorrow."

"Should I come?" She asked.

"No," His answer was sharp, the tone stinging her and making her cringe away.

"Oh," She stopped following him. "I'll just go make dinner." He mumbled something incoherent and closed to bathroom door in her face. It was amazing that a little flower was all it took to open her eyes. She preferred when they were closed.


	33. Night

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light/L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxii. Night. Too beautiful for words._

**A/N: **SasuHika asked for something lighter, since the last few were kind of dark, so here are my attempts.

* * *

><p><strong>Night<strong>

The sky was beautiful at night; so different from in the city. Light had seen pictures, but he'd never seen any but the brightest stars through the bright lights of the suburbs of his town. It was one of those things you didn't realize you were missing until you saw it. Once seen, and it was something you would long for the rest of your life.

"Is Light-kun going to be able to speak anytime soon?" L's voice broke through Light's awe. He glanced over at the detective and then back to the sky. It was too much for words.


	34. Wrath

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light, L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 273  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxiii. Wrath. Light's late night escapades. _

* * *

><p><strong>Wrath<strong>

Light knew what he was risking, but he was never one who shirked away from danger. L only slept once a week and Light used that time to escape from the handcuffs. It had been simple to map the blind spots in the surveillance, and he could get anywhere in the building without Watari seeing him or L being any the wiser. Normally he used the time to explore his prison or run to the corner store to get an apple or banana – something healthy. This time, he had something more drastic on his agenda.

It was a simple matter of sticking to the walls down the hallway, then cutting across the exact center of the operation room before making it into the kitchen. The surveillance in the kitchen was light, aimed only at the two doors leading to the room. He looked at the clock, entering exactly on the hour when the camera lapsed for just a moment. Once inside, he didn't have to be as careful about his movements.

He made quick work of the already prepared cakes, tossing them in the trash. It was harder to get rid of the extra sugar, flour and eggs. There were hundreds of pounds of sugar stored in all the cabinets. In the end, he threw water on it, knowing it would be ruined. Finishing that, he slipped back upstairs and into the handcuffs. He slept much better that night than he had in weeks, even with the threat of the next day hanging over him. He'd seen L upset before, but he couldn't even imagine the wrath of a completely sugar deprived L.


	35. Moon

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Mello, Matt  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 323  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxiv. Moon. Maybe I'm a vampire, right? _

nother tidbit from the upcoming expansion of the 'Lurking' story.

* * *

><p><strong>Moon<strong>

Matt looked up at the moon from the roof of his apartment building. Strictly speaking, it was off limits, but Matt had never been one to pay attention to rules. He thought back to the strange man from the night before, and still found no answers. There was something so familiar about him. He thought if he could only see that scarred face once again, the memories would come back to him.

The moon was almost full, casting enough light for Matt to write. The story was coming along well, even though Matt was pretty sure he had left several plot holes. His editor could spot those when he sent the draft in and he'd fix it then. He only managed to write a few pages before he found his hand sketching the man once again.

"That's a pretty pathetic drawing, if it's supposed to be me," He tried to stand up quickly, scattering his papers and falling in the attempt. He turned to see the blonde man looking over his shoulders, arms crossed. Matt scrambled to his feet. "You never were an artist, Matty."

"How'd you get up here?" Matt asked. He'd locked the door behind him, and he hadn't heard it open anyway.

"I've got my ways," The man said. "Maybe I'm a vampire, right?" When Matt's eyes opened wider, the stranger smirked. "You've always been easy to read." That had been exactly what Matt was thinking. It was silly, but the only time he'd seen the stranger it was dark out, so it wasn't completely illogical.

"A…are you?" It sounded stupid. Vampires didn't exist. And if they did, they weren't supposed to be kind like this man was.

"Of course not," The man scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Matt. Vampires are just myths. At least, as far as I'm aware. But then again, there've been a lot I've been wrong about recently."


	36. Walk

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Light/L  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 198  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxv. Walk. It was the longest walk Light ever made._

_**A/N:** _This is loosely set in the Asylum-verse. It would take place after 'Illumination' (which is not finished). However, it can be read as a generic AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Walk<strong>

It was the longest walk Light ever made. In reality it was only about 50 meters, but each step dragged on forever. Normally, Light's parents would be in the crowd watching and clapping louder than any other parent. Light would pretend not to see or hear them, embarrassed by his absolutely ordinary family. Now that they weren't there, he found that he actually missed them. He wasn't alone, though. Somewhere out there L was watching, braving the world seeing him just to see Light graduate from college.

He was halfway across the stage, accepting his award, when he looked out towards the people, easily settling on L's figure, perched in a folding chair in a way that would make anyone else fall over. He nodded and slid his eyes away. Just as he was about to turn forward and continue the walk across the stage, when he saw the people sitting beside L. His mother was beaming, hands clasped together. His father was stoic as always. Sitting beside them was Sayu and Matsuda, who he hadn't seen since the wedding. He looked back at L who just shrugged. The walk back to his seat didn't seem so long.


	37. Precious

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt, Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 141  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxvi. Precious. He wanted to feel precious._

* * *

><p><strong>Precious<strong>

For someone who spent all his time hiding his eyes behind goggles and video games, Matt didn't like to be overlooked. He could have studied harder and tried to reach for the number one spot, but then he would have to give up a part of himself. He wanted to be seen for who he was, not for who they wanted him to be.

It wasn't that he wanted everyone to see him, either. He didn't care about Near or L or Roger or Linda. It was all for Mello. Everything he did was in the hope that Mello would look at him one day and actually see him. He wanted Mello to look at him like he was the only person in the world who mattered. He wanted Mello to look at him the same way he looked at Mello.


	38. See

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt, L, Near, Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 100  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxvii. See. They can't see it._

**A/N: **I kind of envisioned this set during one of my AU stories, 'Fighting Fate.' It's in no way necessary to read that one before you read this._  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>See<strong>

"They can't see it," Matt said, appearing at L's shoulder. The detective was conducting his yearly inspection of his successors. He didn't think anyone had seen him enter. He didn't let his shock show when he turned to regard the current third place contestant.

"No," He agreed, watching Near and Mello yelling– or Mello shouting and Near looking bored. "They can't." He didn't need clarification from the gamer. It had been four years since his deadline to name a successor and he was still no closer to choosing one.

"When will you tell them?"

"When will you accept?"

"I won't."


	39. Abandoned

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt (past Matt/Mello)  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 170  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxviii. Abandoned. I guess this is goodbye._

* * *

><p><strong>Abandoned<strong>

_What's wrong?_

Nothing looked different in the apartment. The chocolate wrappers were still scattered all over the counter. There were clothes tossed haphazardously where they were discarded when the bedroom was too far. A faint smell of cigarettes and chocolate coated everything.

_Are you trying to start a fight?_

Matt lay curled up on the bed, eyes dry behind gold goggles. He hadn't cried. He wouldn't cry. He was wearing his regular outfit, striped t-shirt and skin-tight jeans. The only sign that anything was wrong was the lack of game system in his hands. It almost hurt to look at him. Like something was missing.

_Then this is good-bye._

There was no sign of a fight on either the occupant or the apartment. There never would be a sign of anything wrong. Eventually the candy wrappers would be picked up and the clothing cleaned and put in a drawer. Matt would recover, but never get over the feeling that he'd been abandoned, even if he did push Mello away.


	40. Dream

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt, Mello  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 199  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xxxix. Dream. There was nothing left of the beautiful dream._

**A/N: **So another piece of that Matt/Mello story. Still no plans on when it's going to be posted, unfortunately. _  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Dream<strong>

He grasped for the images as he drifted into wakefulness. The harder he tried to hold on, though, the faster they slipped from his fingers until all that was left was a feeling of absolute love and contentment. He couldn't even remember a face or a name. There was nothing left of the beautiful dream.

And yet somehow he knew it wasn't a dream. Driven by some leftover remnants of the dream, he went to the box he'd brought from the House and dumped everything out. Once he reached the bottom, he dug at the edges and they lifted away. He'd looked through the contents dozens of times without noticing the hollow bottom.

It was a picture of a much younger Matt and a blonde. The blonde was facing away, and could have been male or female, but Matt knew it was a he. A smile rose to his lips as he recognized the silhouette of the man he'd met on the roof and on the street. He turned it over, hoping there was a name written, but it was blank. He was no closer to finding answers. For all he knew, it could all have been a dream.


	41. 4:29 PM

**Story: **Taste of Love  
><strong>Author:<strong> MikoAkako  
><strong>Beta: <strong>None  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>PairingCharacter: **Matt  
><strong>Word count:<strong> 111  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything you recognize.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_xl. 4:29 PM. His favorite time._

**A/N: **Let's pretend like the past -insertinsanelengthoftime- never happened.

* * *

><p><strong>4:29 PM<strong>

Every day, Matt did the same thing. Classes began at 8:15. Lunch began at 12:30. Classes ended at exactly 3:15. By 3:22 he was in the classroom set aside for practice with Mello, Near and whoever was currently in fourth and fifth place. Until 4:15, they would be immersed in simulated cases. Then Mello and Near would continue bickering until an ungodly hour, but Matt didn't stick around to listen. He would slip out as soon as time was called and at exactly 4:29 PM, he would be up in his favorite tree on the edge of the gardens, hidden from view until Mello found him and dragged him to dinner.


End file.
